The German gave high praise for England star Lallana, saying he had exceeded expectations, as reported in The Mirror:

“I always knew how strong he was. I knew more about him when he played for Southampton. He wrote a very nice story there, and I am really, really happy that a few more people are recognising what a great player he is."

Asked whether Lallana had been a pleasant surprise, the charismatic German responded emphatically, while congratulating him on his player of the month award:

“One of them, for sure. Maybe I have another few! He's won the award for the whole Premier League for March? Congratulations. Hopefully he can win it again in April. That will be good for us!”

Klopp went on to talk about his young Belgian starlet - Divock Origi, praising his quality, and at the same time saying how much more he can still improve:

“He's in a really good way. It was interrupted through a few injuries, but that's how it is. When we came to Liverpool, we knew about his quality, but we also saw that he was not full of confidence – I don't know about all the different reasons why. But he's still only 20, which is quite young. There's a long way to go, but that means there is big space to improve. That's what we try to do."

While Origi, 20, is certainly one for the future, Lallana is very much an established starter already. The England man has made 24 Premier League appearances, scoring three goals in addition to six assists.

Antony Martin

A passionate football writer with an obsession for the beautiful game. Still has not seen either his club or country win a trophy during his time on earth. Aside from football, he is also a keen follower of golf, tennis and darts.